Friday, 27 January 2012

....is how this week has been. Wowzer, it has flown straight by me....on skates.

The weekend I fear will be even busier. Ah well.....no rest for the wicked and all that.......

I noticed my stash of Tunnock's was looking depleted this week. I thought I had found the one thing that the Bears didn't like. For Mr H, it's Reece'sPeanut Butter Cups. The boys DETEST Peanut Butter, so they can well and truly remain his! For me, it was Tunnock's. Fab with a really hot brew. They were all mine......'til the lure of the gorgeous retro wrappers got to the Bears and they were so desperate to try one. So, for good behaviour, I gave in.

Arrrggghhhh Why did I do that?!!!!!!!

Ah well, still a few left and I can enjoy them once in a while if I've had a healthy week.

So, just a short little post today to say a few random things......

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Hello to any new readers here in my little patch. Nice to meet you! Thank you for popping by (and saying hello if you did!). I always have this hope of being able to catch up with everybody, but time just always seems to be tapping me on the shoulder and telling me I should be doing something else. Never enough hours and all that......

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I know that some of you are still having trouble leaving comments. It seems however I put my comments layout, it affects someone. So, apologies for that. If you want to contact me and cannot do it on a comment, you can always email me directly (my email link is on my profile page), or contact me through Ravelry or Flickr (buttons are on the side bar and I am stripey-mooka on Ravelry).

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I am also finding that many blog posts aren't coming up on my blogroll, and I seem to be missing a lot. So, if I seem quiet, that's why. When I get a big bunch of time together, i'll sit down and have a good old looksie.

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I have found it hard in the past to get organised enough to get a better emailing system going. I get so many emails daily that sometimes, some get buried and I don't find them for days. Also, the odd question goes into my spam folder so it takes a while for me to get those. So if you don't hear from me for a while and you ask a question, don't lose hope......I will get there, it just takes a while!

Monday, 23 January 2012

My Mother-in-law is ACE. We have a LOT in common. She has a very healthy interest in China (that has been passed on to one of her daughters!).......She loves fabric.......She loves craft books......and she loves YARN.

Look what turned up on my doorstep last week!

She wondered whether I could make something with these......

YES....YES......and once again YES

What a SWEET ❤

I nearly fainted at their gorgeousness. Actually GORGEOUS doesn't even begin to describe this yarn.

It feels beautifully soft. A silk mix.......it slips through the fingers like a dream.

The only problem I have had these past few days, is trying to decide what to make with them. I love these 4 colours together so much......

....but I have a deep love for this colour.......

It's called 'frost'. One of my most favourite colours. The sumptuous softness combined with the chalkyness of the gery/blue colour is making me really rather giddy. I am dreaming of a stand alone item made in just this colour.

Gosh......My head is all dreamy with ideas and possibilities.......

......I have been browsing about on the internet gathering many an idea.....

Friday, 20 January 2012

There has been a fair bit of sunshine these past 7 days. Okay, so it's been a TAD on the chilly side.......but, I don't care how cold it is.....if the sun is shining, it makes my day.

I have managed to work off my holiday weight gain. The car was ditched in favour of power walking up and down steep hills. The Christmas treats are no more and I feel a tad healthier and fitter!

My Evening Sun Blanket is coming along slowly but surely, and she is a DREAM to work on.

This week has also been a week of bargain finds.....well.....mostly.

I tend to avoid shops in January. I don't do sales and I try and keep my purse as closed as is possible in this month. However, off I trotted into town this week with the aim to get bowls. Bowls were a need. Yes, yes, I know, judging by my recent dresser posts, I DO possess bowls. But, I needed everyday, cheap bowls for the Bears. Bowls that can take the rough and tumble of crash, bash, slam on the counter every day. I wanted dirt cheap, that I wouldn't cry over if they got chipped and smashed. We have had to say goodbye to quite a few loved bowls these past couple of months, so my aim was CHEAP. My 'prettier' bowls are really for my use! I take care of them!

And to my joy, I found some bowls in the sale that were as pretty as I was going to get (for me, a bonus as I am the one who stares at them the most and puts them to and from the dishracks to the cupboards), perfect (for the Bears, good size)......and nice and cheap. Hooray! Job done.

So, once I was out, I thought I might as well have a wander. I had a few gift cards in my pocket so if anything REALLY stood out, I could justify a teensy tiny stray.

I did well in the thrifty shops this week. Usually my luck is low, but this week.....two blankets with pretty edgings and a stool, for pennies, have got me all excited and the creative juices flowing.

Pretty little crocus bulbs in jars reduced right down on the bargain shelf. I thought the joy of watching them unfold on my window sill would be too immense to pass up. I had seen hyacinths like this many a time before but never dinky ones for smaller bulbs.

Tea towels. I bought tea towels and they got me excited. Am I sad? Cheap as chips and pretty as a picture in the kitchen. Mr H did comment on whether more tea towels were actually needed (we have a job trying to shut our tea towel drawer as it is!), but I said the grubby, well used ones will be relegated to the garage for car maintenance! He seemed happy enough with that! Actually though, I like them so much, they may be turned into cushion covers, or hot water bottle covers. We'll see.

Nothing beats a bit of gingham

Floral lovelies

I found some pretty cupcake stencils.......

.....and a pretty silicone heart tray.

I do so have a love of shawls (if you follow me on pinterest you may know this!), and found one in a sale for a few pounds, but it, along with the tray and stencils actually cost me nothing as a trusty gift card was used so I was more than happy! Woo hoo!

Big Bear showed off his Crumble making skills. I was impressed.....didn't get a look in though. He had scoffed it all by the time I got a fork! There are promises of another one, so that puts a smile on my face!

And lastly, sparkles.....again, cheap as chips plastic sparkles to be precise. I love me a bit of sparkle......and in the sunshine, these beauties radiate sparkles all around. The Bears love these. They say it's like having the solar system in the house or the car on a sunny day.

So, several bargains were had.

Mr Postie was my friend this week too. A top popped through the letterbox. I had stared at it online for several months. I hoped with hope that it might just have been marked for sale at Christmas, but the store had other ideas. Typical. So I carried on just staring at it. I then sold something on Ebay to make room for it, and pay for it....and that justified it! As I have said, January is not a month for splashing out on anything full price but if I was able to make some money to pay for it, then that was okay! There is always that worry too, that something you have lovingly longed for online, might just fall short when you actually get it.....but it didn't and I love it! The only down side is that it's a tad summery so I may just have to wait a bit to wear it. Roll on spring! Yippeeeeeee!

Mr Postie also popped some yarn my way. I can carry on with some WIP's.....

and to Mr H's surprise, I actually did a MASS sort of my yarn. Boy, I had more than I thought. They were grouped into yarn style and colour and I felt very pleased with myself for getting so organised. I actually felt a lot like Monica in Friends.....you know the one where she sorts out all her photos......

So, there's my week. A bright week, a healthy week with some bargains to be had. and a little bit of sorting done.

I wander what next week will have in store? Me thinks a fair amount of housework will need to be done to make up for the slack week I seem to have had this week!

So off it all came. Shelves were dusted and crockery was all washed, and new china went on there.....

I was having mainly a Cath day

I fancied bright and cheery to match the sun

I l❤ved re-arranging

Such happy, bright colours lifted my spirits no end

I L❤VE sorting.

Ah....stripes and flowers.

Pretty, cheery shades.

I was in my own little colour world.

Almost done....

Ahhhhhhhhh....happy me.

One little project I did on a whim was to paint some enamel canisters. The set of three blue ones were a tad plain and boring, and in need of a bit of something extra (I can't leave alone, I realised that the bottom canister I had was one that I had got my mitts on a while ago also!). So, out came the paintbrush, and taking inspiration from my favourite floral sprig (in the first pic), the jars were painted. Although, the big tin bugs me, as....in my usual slap dash way, I just 'did it' and the rose placement bothers me! I didn't seal that one so I might re-do it if I can be bothered!

I also whipped up some little vintage style pot holders for my pot plants.

Again, bright and cheery.

But you know.....I stared at this arrangement...and I loved it so. It lifted my heart.............but then I looked and saw all the stuff that I had taken off.

A LOT OF STUFF

Where was I to put it? There was more taken off than put up!

Hummmmmm

So do you know......

it all came back off again, and replaced with what was originally there!